Rendering by Peter Roper
Public access to Castle Williams and its rooftop views has inched closer to reality with the inclusion of $1.35 million in the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee's draft for fiscal 2009. It's a first step toward a $5.8 million project to remove hazardous asbestos and lead paint from the Castle's interior and to open the historic prison cells and dramatic roof for the general public. Currently the public is limited to visiting the courtyard.
The subcommittee's action, thanks to Representative Jerold Nadler,
assures inclusion in the appropriations adopted by the full House. It
remains for Senators Clinton and Schumer to bring the Senate into line
- perhaps even to add more before final enactment. That should be in
September, but could be delayed in this election year.
While the $1.35 million is key, it won't let the public inside the building, much less up to the roof for the spectacular panorama. The National Park Service must add the project to its priority list to establish official commitment for future installments.
The Castle was designed by Colonel Jonathan Williams, first chief of the Army Corps of Engineers, and completed in 1811. As the new country's first fort, its commanding position on the harbor demonstrates why colonial forces were posted on the Island prior to the British invasion in 1776.
While the $1.35 million is key, it won't let the public inside the building, much less up to the roof for the spectacular panorama. The National Park Service must add the project to its priority list to establish official commitment for future installments.
The Castle was designed by Colonel Jonathan Williams, first chief of the Army Corps of Engineers, and completed in 1811. As the new country's first fort, its commanding position on the harbor demonstrates why colonial forces were posted on the Island prior to the British invasion in 1776.